Has anyone here abandoned their 5 string basses totally for 4 strings?

[Root 5]

I do prefer the 4, but the 5 makes the most sense to me as a 'bass.' Having those extra few notes down to b or even A is great.

If I could only have one bass I'd probably have a 5, although I really, really love the 4.

The question for me would be whether I'd abondon my 4 for the 5. The answer would be no. But I could understand someone who started on a 5, sticking with the 5.

[SlingBass4]

They're all good. People come and go between the three (4,5,6 strings). IF the shoe fits......wear it

[Chasarms]

I went to exclusively playing five string basses about 12-13 years ago. I would occasionally pickup a four, but it would invariably last a month or so before it would go back on TB class.

Last year, I bought on a whim a really nice Lakland 4-string jazz. Don't remember the model but it was natural with a black PG. I LOVED playing a four. I ended up selling it and buying a Sadowsky 4.

Later last year I ended up selling all of my gear for financial reasons, but I do think I will acquire another four at some point. I think I'd like to have Modulus VJ.

[LowEZ]

I gigged a Stingray 5 from the late 80's through the late 90's then quit gigging due to some serious family issues. It was a great bass. As I was then just playing for self-enjoyment, the SR5 felt big and ponderous so I traded it for a Sterling 4H. I couldn't be happier! I rarely missed those 5 extra notes. I started playing seriously again about 18 months ago, so I picked up an L-2500. I tried and tried, but ultimately came to the conclusion that a 5 was no longer for me. I'm now on my third Sterling and there I think I will stay.

[Sufenta]

Originally Posted by ga_edwards

Yep, been there, done that .

Like yourself, I found that I always played my 5 strings like a 4 string with a few lower notes, and used the B string mainly as a thumb rest. Even on my Warwick Thumb which was tight and punchy as hell, I found the B string got too 'wooly' if I played past the 5th fret.

I know play 4 strings again, but with Hipshot D-tuners on the low E for the times I need to reach for a low D (actually, I think I only ever needed to go lower than D on one song, which we don't play any more). Strangely, I find drop tuning more intuitive than having an extra string. Besides, I was never satisfied with playing drop D tunes/riffs on the 5 string, they never sounded quite right.

+1 While you don't get all the notes of a low B string, I greatly prefer the tone of a dropped E over the same notes played on a low B. I got my 5er when I got into a band where the guitarist played and wrote on a 7 string. Sold it when that venture bit the dust.

[khutch]

I bought an SR505 a while back and have made a real effort to bond with it. It is an uncertain relationship at best. Then I decided to tune my four string Jazz to CGDA as an experiment. That too has some issues but on the whole I am bonding with the fifths tuning and I like it better than a five string. It doesn't get you the B of course but for my "work" (as a worship band bassist) the C is close enough and if you really needed it you could tune down a half or whole step. I am sticking with the cello tuning because I am starting to dabble in cello music too, for grins. I'm not sure what to do with the Ibanez: sell/trade it, convert it to a four!!, or maybe tune it in fifths too. For now I have the strings on order to tune it CGDAE, the latter choice. If that does not do anything interesting for me I will probably dispose of it.

In retrospect I would likely have been happier with an SR500 tuned BEAD. The extra four frets over the Fender would have mostly compensated for the missing G string. It doesn't seem likely now but if I were to decide against the fifths tuning for the long run I would certainly give that a try.

Ken

[georgestrings]

Nope - still playing both 4s and 5s... I suppose if my band situation changes where I don't need the lower notes, I'd primarily play 4s - but I don't see that happening any time soon... One side project doesn't requite anything that low, and I only bring 4 bangers for that - and it is kinda nice, I have to admit...


- georgestrings

[RED J]

I've had several nice 5's drift through. Love the feel and playing them. I dunno, just something about the sound was "different" I just couldn't quite connect. Very quirky on my part but... I have a P strung bead and it satisfies my B string thunder cravings, and I think that's where I have settled.

[CLMSHQ]

Originally Posted by Evil Undead

I liked 5 strings when I had one, but now I'm all about the Fender 4 strings.

Me too!

I was in a Classic-Southern Rock Band for years the reason I went back to 4 to begin with, and now we have a Super Group with some of those Musicians and others from previous bands I have played with...we play alot of Hip-Hop, Dance and Funk...a lot of songs have that Low Sub sound, but I cant just go for a 5 String again...I have been enjoying my Fender P's and J's too much.

[Dbassmon]

Presumably you bought a 5 string bass is because you wanted the extended range. If you bought it not knowing exactly why then moving back to 4 strings would be an easy decision.

As I bought my 5 string bass for the extra range, going back is not really an appealing option. I love the low thunder when I hit a low c, d or b. Using them sparingly makes it all the more effective when you drop a sub bomb. Even E on the B string has depth that open E can not deliver.

Some guys never get used to that extra string. I love it!

[AndreBas]

I feel fine with either 4 or 5 strings, but nowadays many artists won't accept that in Eb or D the bass would only sit on the Open D or 5th fret of the A string. That way the bass is sounding only one note lower than a standard guitar. That's fine for any old school rock tunes, but not for some "modern" stuff. I usually ask my clients if they prefer me to use or not use the B string, of course some of them leave it up to me.

When sight reading the B string comes in handy, of course. Although the B string gets muddy when playing in higher positions, for just one eight note I wouldn't change the position...

When it comes to playing Walking Bass, I ask my students to not use or very carefully use the low notes on the B string, since they were not there when Walking Bass was "invented".

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by AndreBas

When sight reading the B string comes in handy, of course. Although the B string gets muddy when playing in higher positions, for just one eight note I wouldn't change the position...

Not true on all basses.

[Corevalay]

I never really got into the 5-string thing. I have one, but I only use it for like 2-3 songs for an entire night. It's just my personal preference to play a 4-string.

[bootsox]

I have a 5 string that I haven't played in ages. I have a 6 string I'll play occasionally but 99% of my time on bass is spent with 4 strings

[DBCrocky]

Just the opposite. All my fours are sad and lonely.

[jgroh]

I am going in this direction now. I have a G&L L2500 that I really like, but it is just too heavy for me to play for more than a few songs comfortably. And, I found that I dont use anything below the low D, lower than that and it just doesnt sound right in my band. Im not sure if Ill get rid of it, but I was thinking of getting a Hipshot for my Ric for the few songs that use the low D.

[Dbassmon]

Originally Posted by AndreBas

When it comes to playing Walking Bass, I ask my students to not use or very carefully use the low notes on the B string, since they were not there when Walking Bass was "invented".

Really? Electric bass was not invented when bass players started walking. Encourage your students to expand the concept, not be prisoner to the past. IMO.

[Jamie_Funk]

I gave up on 5s for about 4 years after playing 5s for 10 years.

ALWAYS found myself missing the B string. Sometimes for notes below E, a lot for the positional and tonal differences it allows.

Also found 4 string necks, even the widest, to be too small and actually HARDER to play for me.

Went back to wide-spaced 5s only and no regrets - my 5s have everything a 4 has and more. Plus my main 5 sounds better than any 4 I've played.

YMMV

J

[MoeGJBeener]

i was all about 4 stringers in original rock/punk/alt bands. but the past 5 years of playing covers have been allllllll 5's. that low B comes in very handy when you don't have a keyboardist and cover pop music.

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Dbassmon

Really? Electric bass was not invented when bass players started walking. Encourage your students to expand the concept, not be prisoner to the past. IMO.

Can we then shun upright bassists with the extended fingerboards?